New England Literature

In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write. It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.

Iris Buckley is hoping for a bit of rest and relaxation now that the summertime rush is winding down in Blueberry Cove, Maine. Her apron shop Ruffles & Bows has been a huge success, her friendships are stronger than ever, and now she's ready for all of the end of summer cookouts on the beach that she can handle. But before Iris can even turn on the grill, Bella's latest fling, former Olympian sailor and gorgeous bad boy Lance Pederson, is killed in a hit-and-run while jogging at dawn - and all the evidence points to Bella herself.

Ethan Frome, a poor, downtrodden New England farmer, is trapped in a loveless marriage to his invalid wife, Zeena.When Zeena's young cousin Mattie arrives to help care for her, Ethan is immediately taken by Mattie's warm, vivacious personality. They fall desperately in love as he realizes how much is missing from his life and marriage.

Police detective Justin Clay is on Nantucket for one reason, and one reason only—to regroup, reevaluate, and decompress. He is not in the market for a relationship. Neither is tearoom owner Heather Anderson. But when Justin comes to her aid during a dicey situation, and as they become better acquainted, she can’t help but wonder … could her new neighbor be the exception to her rule—and a man worth loving?

Off the New England coast, courageous Mehitabel Ampleford wields a rifle to protect her home from a brutish band of men who are after her land. She will not be intimidated, but their attacks are growing fiercer, and just as their latest confrontation threatens violence, a bold stranger appears out of the ocean mists to send the raiders packing. Geordie MacEnroy has seen the ravages of war in his mountain town - and in the injuries suffered by his youngest brother; now, his restless soul is calling him to find sanctuary by the sea.

It's the grand opening of Daybreak Island's cat cafe, where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines - and maybe even take one or a few home. Co-owner Maddie James is purring with excitement over her new warm-and-fuzzy venture, until she becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty. The catfight that ensues is bad enough for business. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead with a tell-tale catnip toy on the scene, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie's staffer.

Two years into his new life on Nantucket, Dr. Christopher Morgan is beginning to make peace with his past. But romance is not on his agenda—until Marci Clay enters his life one rainy night and manages to breach the walls around his heart. But Marci has secrets … regrets … and an aversion to blue-blood pedigrees. Yet Christopher doesn’t conform to her rich-boy stereotype. And as they join forces to help his older neighbor, might they find a way to reconcile their divergent backgrounds and build a future together?

If there’s anything Susan Sheridan understands, it’s that things don’t always go as planned. From her divorce, to her move from Newark, to her cancer diagnosis, finally to Scott popping the question at the Sunrise Cove Inn’s New Year’s Party in front of all her closest family and friends. She never thought she’d find her way back to a love like this. Amanda prepares herself for the ride of her life as she plans a dream-wedding to Chris, a man she’s loved desperately for years. But there’s something off about him. Something that rears its ugly head as the January wedding date rolls near.

Thrust into the center of events is Reverend Israel Brewster, an idealistic young minister with a famous grandfather and a tragic past. Meanwhile, Massasoit's son, known as "King Philip" by the English, is tormented by both the present and the past. He is watching the resources and culture of the Wampanoag nation fade away at the hands of the English and desperately wishes to restore hope and security to his people. In a world of religious fervor, devastating sickness, and incessant greed, can the alliance of their forefathers survive?

Ever since her first ghostly sighting, Abby Kimball has been trying to unravel the mystery of her newly discovered ability. So when she sees the apparition of a Revolutionary War soldier in the middle of the town green - just days before the annual Patriot's Day celebration, no less - she's determined to figure out her connection to the man. The ethereal soldier is not the only mystery in Abby's life.

Amanda became a nurse to save as many lives as possible. After her mother died while being swindled by a church leader, Amanda swore off religion and turned to medical science to solve all of life's problems. But when she loses her home and job, and struggles to make a new life in a new town, Amanda's feeble beliefs can't withstand the pressure.

Welcome to Greenwich, Connecticut, home of scenic beaches, dazzling autumn foliage, and swoon-worthy affluent men. Hindered by a recent surgery that has left his arm in a sling, Eric Salko’s life is upended when the VP of his investment firm hires a temporary new personal assistant to run errands and help with Eric’s daughter, Bella. All bets are off when the stunning employee enters his palatial Connecticut estate. Broke and with her life in shambles, Kira Blumquist is desperate to make the most of her lucky break.

Reeling from a frustrating diagnosis, TwinFin surfwear mogul Ansel Wolf must drastically change his dietary habits. On a trip to Berks County, Pennsylvania, his life is forever changed when he meets Velda Yoder, a meek Amish beauty with a knack for healthy meals. With the end of her Rumspringa looming, Ansel offers her a temporary job as a cook in Rhode Island. Velda accepts, hoping to experience more of the world before her baptism and lifetime commitment to the rigid Ordnung.

Charlie is already feeling adrift when she relocates to an exclusive town in coastal New England with her mysteriously distant husband, Dev, and their young twins in tow. She hopes the move will recharge her stalled marriage, and she wants her kids to feel like they belong, even if she’s clearly a fish out of water herself. In a strange new world where summer is a verb and both the harbor and the partygoers are awash in a dizzying constellation of pinks and pastels, she’s never felt so confounded or alone. She’ll need more than a preppy handbook to find her way.

When her mother telephones from France with news of her imminent arrest, Ella along with her aunt and an eccentric friend rush to her aid. But what starts as a simple disappearance quickly turns to murder and Ella finds herself embroiled in a mystery which is far more complex than she'd anticipated.

I just found out I have an identical twin. Wasn’t looking for one. Would have preferred to not have one, but here we are. We have nothing in common. I was adopted by a successful businessman who raised me to see life as a game and gave me the skills to win it. Him? He is about to lose his family’s farm. You heard me—farm. Lucky for him, I’m a firm believer that when it comes to family, no one goes to battle alone. I’m in. I’ve switched lives with him and will use every business trick I know to save his farm.

Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for Bar Harbor's Island Times, is...well, kind of broke. So when she's selected for that extreme coupon-clipping reality game show coming to town...she's thrilled, especially when her competition is nasty nurse Candace Culpepper. But when Haley stumbles across a face-down-in-the-snow Candace - scissors gleaming between her shoulders - she knows the next thing she'll be selected for will probably be a police line-up.

Ella Bridges faces her most challenging investigation so far when the vicar dies suddenly at the May Day Fete. But with evidence scarce and her personal life unraveling in ways she could never have imagined, she misses vital clues in the investigation. Working alongside Sergeant Baxter of Scotland Yard, will Ella manage to unearth the clues needed to catch the killer before another life is lost? Or will personal shock cloud her mind and result in another tragedy?

A man escaping from a hotel fire glimpses a woman standing beneath a tree. He approaches her and sets in motion a series of events that will change his life forever. Years later, traveling from New England to Florida by train, he reflects on his obsession with this unknown and ultimately unknowable woman, his courtship of her, his marriage to her, and the unforgivable act that ripped their family apart.

Elise Gilpatrick never thought she would be a parent, especially not like this. After agreeing to take 15-year-old DJ as a temporary foster placement straight from the police station, she feels like she's in over her head. But, as she learns on the job with a little help from her coworker, Elise realizes that she and DJ need to lean on each other and on the God who pieced them together. Their rocky journey will only prove that it's never too late to find the love of a family.